the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第22章

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　publish　extracts　from　writings　of　the　age　of　Luther。　　But　I　have　the　honour　of　having　attacked　the　pillars　of　the　Romish　hierarchy　in　days　more　dangerous。　　I　may　boast　of　being　the　first　German　who　raised　a　fermentation　on　the　Upper　Rhine　and　in　Austria；　so　advantageous　to　truth；　the　progress　of　the　understanding；　and　the　happiness　of　futurity。

My　writings　contain　nothing　inimical　to　the　morality　taught　by　Christ。　　I　attacked　the　sale　of　indulgences；　the　avarice　of　Rome；　the　laziness；　deceit；　gluttony；　robbery；　and　blood…sucking　of　the　monks　of　Aix…la…Chapelle。　　The　arch…priest；　and　nine　of　his　coadjutors；　declared　every　Sunday　that　I　was　a　freethinker；　a　wizard；　one　whom　every　man；　wishing　well　to　God　and　the　Church；　ought　to　assassinate。　　Father　Zunder　declared　me　an　outlaw；　and　a　day　was　appointed　on　which　my　writings　were　to　be　burnt　before　my　house；　and　its　inhabitants　massacred。　　My　wife　received　letters　warning　her　to　fly　for　safety；　which　warning　she　obeyed。　　I　and　two　of　my　huntsmen　remained；　provided　with　eighty…four　loaded　muskets。　These　I　displayed　before　the　window；　that　all　might　be　convinced　that　I　would　make　a　defence。　　The　appointed　day　came；　and　Father　Zunder；　with　my　writings　in　his　hand；　appeared　ready　for　the　attack；　the　other　monks　had　incited　the　townspeople　to　a　storm。　　Thus　passed　the　day　and　night　in　suspense。

In　the　morning　a　fire　broke　out　in　the　town。　　I　hastened；　with　my　two　huntsmen；　well　armed；　to　give　assistance；　we　dashed　the　water　from　our　buckets；　and　all　obeyed　my　directions。　　Father　Zunder　and　his　students　were　there　likewise。　　I　struck　his　anointed　ear　with　my　leathern　bucket；　which　no　man　thought　proper　to　notice。　　I　passed　undaunted　through　the　crowd；　the　people　smiled；　pulled　off　their　hats；　and　wished　me　a　good…morning。　　The　people　of　Aix…la…Chapelle　were　bigots；　but　too　cowardly　to　murder　a　man　who　was　prepared　for　his　own　defence。

As　I　was　riding　to　Maestricht；　a　ball　whistled　by　my　ears；　which；　no　doubt；　was　a　messenger　sent　after　me　by　these　persecuting　priests。

When　hunting　near　the　convent　of　Schwartzenbruck；　three　Dominicans　lay　in　ambush　behind　a　hedge。　　One　of　their　colleagues　pointed　out　the　place。　　I　was　on　my　guard　with　my　gun；　drew　near；　and　called　out；　〃Shoot；　scoundrels！　but　do　not　kill　me；　for　the　devil　stands　ready　for　you　at　your　elbow。〃　　One　fired；　and　all　ran：　　The　ball　hit　my　hat。　　I　fired　and　wounded　one　desperately；　whom　the　others　carried　off。

In　1774；　journeying　from　Spa　to　Limbourg；　I　was　attacked　by　eight　banditti。　　The　weather　was　rainy；　and　my　musket　was　in　its　case；　my　sabre　was　entangled　in　my　belt；　so　that　I　was　obliged　to　defend　myself　as　with　a　club。　　I　sprang　from　the　carriage；　and　fought　in　defence　of　my　life；　striking　down　all　before　me；　while　my　faithful　huntsman　protected　me　behind。　　I　dispersed　my　assailants；　hastened　to　my　carriage；　and　drove　away。　　One　of　these　fellows　was　soon　after　hanged；　and　owned　that　the　confessor　of　the　banditti　had　promised　absolution　could　they　but　despatch　me；　but　that　no　man　could　shoot　me；　because　Lucifer　had　rendered　me　invulnerable。　　My　agility；　fighting；　too；　for　life；　was　superior　to　theirs；　and　they　buried　two　of　their　gang；　whom　with　my　heavy　sabre　I　had　killed。

To　such　excess　of　cruelty　may　the　violence　of　priests　be　carried！　　I　attacked　only　gross　abusesthe　deceit　of　the　monks　of　Aix…la…　Chapelle；　Cologne；　and　Liege；　where　they　are　worse　than　cannibals。　I　wished　to　inculcate　true　Christian　duties　among　my　fellow…　citizens；　and　the　attempt　was　sufficient　to　irritate　the　selfish　Church　of　Rome。

From　my　Empress　I　had　nothing　to　hope。　　Her　confessor　had　painted　me　as　a　persecutor　of　the　blessed　Mother　Church。　　Nor　was　this　all。　Opinions　were　propagated　throughout　Vienna　that　I　was　a　dangerous　man　to　the　community。

Hence　I　was　always　wronged　in　courts　of　judicature；　where　there　are　ever　to　be　found　wicked　men。　　They　thought　they　were　serving　the　cause　of　God　by　injuring　me。　　Yet　they　were　unable　to　prevent　my　writings　from　producing　me　much　money；　or　from　being　circulated　through　all　Germany。　　The　Aix…la…Chapelle　Journal　became　so　famous；　that　in　the　second　year　I　had　four　thousand　subscribers；　by　each　of　whom　I　gained　a　ducat。

The　postmasters；　who　gained　considerably　by　circulating　newspapers；　were　envious；　because　the　Aix…la…Chapelle　Journal　destroyed　several　of　the　others；　and　they　therefore　formed　a　combination。

Prince　Charles　of　Sweden　placed　confidence　in　me　during　his　residence　at　Aix…la…Chapelle　and　Spa；　and　I　accompanied　him　into　Holland。　　When　I　took　my　leave　of　him　at　Maestricht；　he　said　to　me；　〃When　my　father　dies；　either　my　brother　shall　be　King；　or　we　will　lose　our　heads。〃　　The　King　died；　and　Prince　Charles　soon　after　said；　in　the　postscript　of　one　of　his　letters；　〃What　we　spoke　of　at　Maestricht　will　soon　be　fully　accomplished；　and　you　may　then　come　to　Stockholm。〃

On　this；　I　inserted　an　article　in　my　journal　declaring　a　revolution　had　taken　place　in　Sweden；　that　the　king　had　made　himself　absolute。　The　other　papers　expressed　their　doubts；　and　I　offered　to　wager　a　thousand　ducats　on　the　truth　of　the　article　published　in　my　journal　under　the　title　of　〃Aix…la…Chapelle。〃　　The　news　of　the　revolution　in　Sweden　was　confirmed。

My　journal　foretold　the　Polish　partition　six　weeks　sooner　than　any　other；　but　how　I　obtained　this　news　must　not　be　mentioned。　　I　was　active　in　the　defence　of　Queen　Matilda　of　Denmark。

The　French　Ministry　were　offended　at　the　following　pasquinade：…　〃The　three　eagles　have　rent　the　Polish　bear；　without　losing　a　feather　with　which　any　man　in　the　Cabinet　of　Versailles　can　write。　　Since　the　death　of　Mazarin；　they　write　only　with　goose…quills。〃

By　desire　of　the　King　of　Poland；　I　wrote　a　narrative　of　the　attempt　made　to　assassinate　him；　and　named　the　nuncio　who　had　given　absolution　to　the　conspirators　in　the　chapel　of　the　Holy　Virgin。

The　house　was　now　in　flames。　　Rome　insisted　I　should　recall　my　words。　　Her　nuncio；　at　Cologne；　vented　poison；　daggers；　and　excommunication；　the　Empress…Queen　herself　thought　proper　to　interfere。　　I　obtained；　for　my　justification；　from　Warsaw　a　copy　of　the　examination　of　the　conspirators。　　This　I　threatened　to　publish；　and　stood　unmoved　in　the　defence　of　truth。

The　Empress　wrote　to　the　Postmaster…General　of　the　Empire；　and　commanded　him　to　lay　an　interdict　on　the　Aix…la…Chapelle　Journal。　Informed　of　this；　I　ended　its　publication　with　the　year；　but　wrote　an　essay　on　the　partition　of　Poland；　which　also　did　but　increase　my　enemies。

The　magistracy　of　Aix…la…Chapelle　is　elected　from　the　people；　and　the　Burghers'　court　consists　of　an　ignorant　rabble。　　I　know　no　exceptions　but　Baron　Lamberte　and　De　Witte；　and　this　people　assume　titles　of　dignity；　for　which　they　are　amenable　to　the　court　at　Vienna。　　Knowing　I　should　find　little　protection　at　Vienna；　they　imagined　they　might　drive　me　from　their　town。　　I　was　a　spy　on　their　evil　deeds；　of　whom　they　would　have　rid　themselves。　　I　knew　that　the　two　sheriffs；　Kloss　and　Furth；　and　the　recorder；　Geyer；　had　robbed　the　town…chamber　of　forty　thousand　dollars；　and　divided　the　spoil。　To　these　I　was　a　dangerous　man。　　For　such　reasons　they　sought　a　quarrel　with　me；　pretending　I　had　committed　a　trespass　by　breaking　down　a　hedge；　and　cited　me　to　appear　at　the　town…house。

The　postmaster；　Heinsberg；　of　Aix…la…Chapelle；　although　he　had　two　thousand　three　hundred　rix…dollars　of　mine　in　his　possession；　instituted　false　suits　against　me；　obtained　verdicts　against　me；　seized　on　a　cargo　of　wine　at　Cologne；　and　I　incurred　losses　to　the　amount　of　eighteen　thousand　florins；　which　devoured　the　fortune　of　my　wife；　and　by　which　she；　with　myself　and　my　children；　were　reduced　to　poverty。

The　Gravenitz　himself；　in　1778；　acknowledged　how　much　he　had　injured　me；　affirmed　he　had　been　deceived；　and　promised　he　would　try　to　obtain　restitution。　　I　forgave　him；　and　he　attempted　to　keep　his　promise；　but　his　power　declined；　the　bribes　he　had　received　became　too　public。　　He　was　dispossessed　of　his　post；　but；　alas！　too　late　for　me。　　Two　other　of　my　judges　are　at　this　time　obliged　to　sweep　the　streets　of　Vienna；　where　they　are　condemned　to　the　House　of　Correction。　　Had　this　been　their　employment　instead　of　being　seate